Douglas Gawin

Douglas, Gawin (1474-1522), son of Earl Archibald of Angus (Bell-the-Cat), was a Scottish poet, born at Brechin. He was educated at home and at Paris and took orders, but did not meet with the preference that his prominent position might have led him to look for. He was active at politics and was present at Flodden, where his two brothers and 200 of the Douglases fell. It was at this period that he wrote most of his poems. Later he was made Bishop of Dunkeld, but the intrigues of the Hamiltons against the Douglases turning in favour of the former, he was forced into exile, and finally died in London of the plague. Among his poems are The Palace of Honour, an allegory of the virtuous man, and King Hart, an allegory of the human heart, not published till 1788. He is edso famous for having translated the AEneid, with prologues to the different books, the first poetical translation of classics into English.